Multiroller leveler for striplike material



Jan. 2, 1968 w. A. H. coLLIER V 3,360,973

MULTIROLLERLEVELER FOR STRIPLIKE MATERIAL Filed Jan. '7, 1965 INVENTOR WILLIAM A.H,. COLLIER 'Bv v United States Patent G i 3,360,973 MULTIROLLER LEVELER FOR STRIPLIKE MATERIAL William Anthony Hilton Collier, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Davy and United Engineering Company Limited, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, a British company Filed Jan. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 423,971 Claims priority, application (aeat Britain, Jan. 7, 1964,

7 Claims. (Cl. 72-163) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a leveler of the type provided for leveling metallic striplike material, such as, strip and plate. It comprises two relatively larger diameter backup rolls arranged on opposite sides of the material to be leveled, around which there are mounted in satellistic fashion a plurality of small diameter working rolls, the construction being such that the respective working rolls are adapted to be brought into a nesting relationship between which the strip is passed and leveled. The speeds of the backup rolls or working rolls are controlled so as to subject each cross-sectional portion of the strip to a number of bends.

This invention relates to levelers for subjecting plate, sheet or strip material to a series of curvatures.

In a conventional multi-roller leveler the material is subjected to a series of curvatures, the first being large and followed by successively smaller ones until the last, which leaves the material flat and with low residual stresses. Another purpose of a lever which is used on sheet material is to work-harden the material to such an extent that the upper and lower yield points are suppressed and the material then exhibits a stress-strain curve which has no clearly defined yield point. Such material can then be pressed without the occurrence of stretcherstrains.

According to the present invention, a leveler comprises first and second backup rolls of relatively large diameter, first and second series of work rolls of relatively small diameter arranged as satellites around the first and second backup rolls, respectively, such that on rotation of the backup rolls, work rolls from the first and second series alternately pass through the plane containing the axes of the backup rolls.

Preferably, each series of work rolls contains an equal number of equispaced rolls, the series being arranged relative to each other so that when a work roll of one series has its axis in the plane containing the axes of the backup rolls it is equally spaced from the two adjacen rolls of the other series.

One embodiment of leveler, in accordance with the invention, will now be described by way of example only with reference to the drawings annexed hereto of which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the work rolls of one form of a conventional leveler;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic elevational view through a planetary leveler; and

FIGURE 3 shows diagrammatically the successive curvatures attained by one cross section of the material.

With reference to the leveler, shown in FIGURE 2, there is provided an upper backup roll 12 surrounded by a series of equally spaced satellite work rolls 13, and a lower backup roll 14 surrounded by a series of equally spaced satellite work rolls 15 which are received in cages. It will be appreciated that in a given case the backup rolls may have different diameters and, hence, a dilferent number of work rolls around their periphery.

The leveler, in some respects, is similar to a planetary rolling mill as illustrated in U.S. Patents Nos. 2,811,060 and 3,138,979, except that the work rolls are arranged to meet the material 16 to be worked alternately and not together, as in the case of the rolling mill. The mounting and drive of the backup rolls and cages of the Work rolls may be the same as for the well-known planetary rolling mills, in which the backup rolls rolls only are directly driven. The speed of the two Work roll assemblies 13 and 15 should be synchronized with each other and the speed of the two backup rolls 12 and 14 should be synchronized with each other.

The series of work rolls 13, 15 are arranged relative to one another such that when a work roll of one series has its axis in the plane 17 containing the axes of the backup rolls, it is equally spaced from the adjacent work rolls of the other series. The distance between the backup rolls is adjustable to vary the magnitude of the curvatures attained. In the position illustrated, rollers 15a, 13a and 15b bend the material in one direction and as the work roll assembly rot-ates, roller 13b acting with rolls 13a and 15b will bend it in the opposite direction and so on. Pinch rolls 18, 19 are arranged to feed the material into the leveler at some rate proportional to the rotational speed of the backup rolls 12, 13. In this case, the rate of feed determines, for a given backup speed, the number of bends which each cross section of the material undergoes, while the distance between the backup rolls determines the magnitude of the curvatures attained. The backup rolls may rotate in either direction.

In a leveler, according to the invention, positive drives may be provided for: the backup rolls, the work roll cages and the pinch rolls. In one arrangement the backup rolls and work roll cages only are driven during the leveling operation, in which use the pinch rolls may be dispensed with. In another arrangement the backup rolls and the pinch rolls only are driven during leveling. In yet another arrangement the Work roll cages and the pinch rolls only are driven.

FIGURE 3 shows diagrammatically at 20 the successive curvatures to which one cross section of the material is subjected, in a typical operation; the material first touching a roll at 21 and last touching a roll at 22. The envelope of the curvatures are indicated at 23.

The advantages of such a machine are:

(1) The number of bends to which the material can be subjected in one pass of the material is not limited by the number of work rolls as it is in the conventional machine shown in FIGURE 1.

(2) The number of roll drives required is less than that in the conventional machine shown in FIGURE 1.

(3) The stifiness of the backup rolls can be made high without afiecting the pitch of the work rolls.

(4) The leveling load can be that due to only one bend and thus the supporting structure can be made smaller than the conventional leveler.

(5) The work rolls can be smaller and therefore the curvatures larger than in conventional machines shown in FIGURE 1.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A leveler comprising first and second backup rolls of relatively large diameter, first and second series of work rolls of relatively small diameter a cage member for each backup roll arranged around said backup rolls and rotatably carrying one of the series of work rolls in satellitic fashion, the construction being such that the cages rotate about their associated backup rolls, such that on rotation of the backup rolls, work rolls from the first and second series alternately pass through the plane containing the axes of the backup rolls.

2. A leveler, according to claim 1, in which each series of work rolls contains an equal number of equispaced rolls, the series being arranged relative to each other so that when a work roll of one series has its axis in the plane containing the axes of the backup rolls, it is equally spaced from the two adjacent rolls of the other series.

3. A leveler, according to claim 1, in which the distance between the backup roll axes is adjustable.

4. A leveler, according to claim 1, including a pair of pinch rolls arranged to feed material to the leveler.

5. In a method of operating a leveler comprising first and second backup rolls of relatively large diameter, first and second series of work rolls of relatively small diameter rolls arranged as satellites around the first and second backup rolls, respectively, such that On rotation of the backup 10115 the work rolls from the first and second series alternately pass through a plane containing the axis of the backup rolls and in which alternately two rolls of one series and one roll of the other series assume a nested relationship and the material is subject to reverse bending, comprising the steps of:

driving the backup rolls and work rolls independently of each other and subjecting each cross-sectional portion to a number of bends,

selectively controlling the driving speeds of the backup rolls and work rolls so as to vary the number of bends that a portion of the material being leveled undergoes.

6. In a method of operating a leveler comprising first and second backup rolls of relatively large diameter, first and second series of work rolls of relatively small diameter rolls arranged as satellites around the first and second backup rolls, respectively, such that on rotation of the backup rolls the work rolls from the first and second series alternately pass through a plane containing the axis of the backup rolls, and in which alternately two rolls of one series and one roll of the other series assume a nested relationship and the material is subject to reverse bending, and means for causing the material to pass through the leveler, comprising the steps of:

driving the backup rolls and said means independently of each other and subjecting each cross-sectional portion to a number of bends, controlling the driving speed of said means so as to vary the number of bends that a portion of the material being leveled undergoes.

7. In a method of operating a leveler comprising first and second backup rolls of relatively large diameter, first and second series of work rolls of relatively small diameter rolls arranged as satellites around the first and second backup rolls, respectively, such that on rotation of the backup rolls the work rolls from the first and second series alternately pass through a plane containing the axis of the backup rolls, and in which alternately two rolls of one series and one roll of the other series assume a nested relationship and the material is subject to reverse bending, and means for causing the material to pass through the leveler, comprising the steps of:

driving the work rolls around their respective backup rolls and said means independently of each other and subjecting each cross-sectional portion to a number of bends,

controlling the driving speed of said means so as to vary the number of bends that a portion of the material being leveled undergoes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,643,688 6/1953 Crocker 72l96 XR CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

R. D. GREFE, Assistant Examiner. 

